No. 6. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 543 



same ores in the Clinton shales, Catskill, etc., and the gray car- 

 bonate ores of the coal measures and sub-carboniferous rocks pro- 

 ducing from 20 to 50 or 55 per cent, of metallic iron. These are some- 

 times used in the production of pig metal, and, especially, where con- 

 venient for mining and transportation, but are not deemed valuable 

 in comparison with the richer steel ores, magnetites, etc., that are im- 

 ported as described. 



Again, there are extensive deposits of red shale with their asso- 

 ciated rocks that contain from 15 to 25 per cent, of metallic iron, and 

 an urgent question is today, or will be ere many years will elapse, 

 how shall we utilize these low grade ores, aud by what process 

 make them valuable for iron and steel products with reasonable 

 cost? There are chemists experimenting towards a solution of this 

 question, and I have seen some favorable and encouraging, if not 

 complete, deductions in this direction; in one instance, a Southern 

 gentleman having demonstrated to a Wall Street Company, engaged 

 somewhat in promoting such various devices and inventions, that 

 it is possible to reduce low grade or lean ores hy a chemical or 

 electro chemical process, Avhereby the ores containing as low as 6 or 

 8 per cent, of metal, can certainly be made useful and at a nominal 

 cost, so far as the process is concerned. Whether these samples, as 

 shown to me, were typical of the results of the process if applied to 

 a large amount of ore, 1 cannot say, but the results seemed promising 

 to me and others who examined them. This threatened iron ore de- 

 pletion naturally evokes the question, who will in a sensible and 

 reasonable measure find a substitute for the rapid exhaustion of 

 iron ore; and aluminum has been suggested by virtue of its light- 

 ness, toughness aud llexibility ; so that if its production may be 

 realized at a reasonable cost, the disappearance of iron ore will 

 not create the dismay that is now so omiious, and the process is 

 yet to be discovered Avhereby the almost limitless clay deposits, 

 with their 15 to 25 per cent, of alumina (oxide of aluminum) may re- 

 spond to the query as to what will replace iron, and how meet the 

 demand, for iron products or something that will be quite as use- 

 ful and available, without hardship, when iron ores of the better 

 grade have disappeared. 



Again, we must resort finally to chemistry or electricity or both, and 

 who shall put a period to the word electricity, in contemplation of 

 its innumerable device-s and the domain that it affords for the exert- 

 ing of man's skill and almost supernal conceptions and ingenuity. 

 The seemingly impossible solution of many problems of perplexing 

 effort and unusual exertion will be found year after year in the 

 application of electricity or electro chemistry and its wondrous and 

 almost divine devices, phases and potency. While delivering a for- 

 mer report to this honorable body, I referred in a digressive way to 

 the problem of good roads and very briefly suggested a line of ex- 

 periment that might contribute to the solution of this momentous 

 subject. 



Nature has given us pertinent lessons whereby we may clearly ex- 

 periment aud duly acquire some definite ideas towards the making 

 of roads that will not so shortly vanish away in dust along the country 

 thorouglifares, lanes and by-ways, cared for in part by the old time 

 supervisor. We notice the exposures of slate an'l shale, red, black 



